Page 61 of The Eraser

Mav nods. "On it. I'll have Jer make the calls. Right now, you need to shower or something, man. You need to get focused."

I shoot him a glare. "Focused?" I snarl. "I am focused. What the fuck do you want from me, Mav? The woman I love is gone and that cunt will kill her if we don't find her soon."

His jaw clenches. "He won't," he says thickly. "We'll find her."

I just fucking pray that he's right. I can't lose her. I just fucking can't.

ChapterTwenty-Six

JESSICA

My ears are ringing,and pain radiates through my head. I tighten my eyes closed as the memories of what happened hit me like a barrage. God, Stephen... I hope to hell that he finds me.

The scent of body odor hits me, and it takes everything in me not to retch at how repulsive the smell is.

"Wakey, wakey, bitch," Dad snarls as he pushes hard against my shoulder. "If you don't wake up, Jessica, I'm going to start playing with Callie here."

I swallow hard as I open my eyes. Fear unlike anything else hits me as I realize exactly where we are. We're at the same place he brought me to when he burned me all those years ago. I never found out where it was. I was unconscious when I arrived and when I left. I was in too much pain to stay awake, and Dad always made sure I was knocked out when arriving.

"What's going on, Dad?" I ask, my voice trembling.

"You," he snarls. "Do you have any idea just how fucking much trouble you've caused me?" He crouches in front of me, his face close to mine, and I can see the hatred and anger in his eyes. The smell of whiskey on his breath makes my stomach roll.

"I didn't do anything." I breathe.

His laughter is cruel and chills me to the bone. "Your uncle's looking for me and you've been holed up with Maguire. You think I'm stupid, that I haven't noticed?"

I shake my head. Nothing I say is going to make a difference.

"What did you tell Jer?" he snarls. "What did you tell that prick? He's looking for me, Jessica. That means you've been telling lies. So, what the fuck did you say to him?" he screams, spittle flying from his mouth as his hands roughly pull at his own hair. He looks deranged, crazy, and menacing.

I'm scared. I'm terrified. I know what he can do to me. I know how much he'll hurt me. But he's never been this way before. I've never seen him so damn crazy.

"He knows everything," I whisper. "He knows what you've done to me."

I should have seen it coming. I should have been prepared. Being away from home has made me too comfortable. My reflexes aren't up to scratch. He viciously backhands me, but I'm tied to the marble table. I grunt in pain, tasting metal in my mouth. He's made me bleed.

"Leave her alone," Callie cries and my gaze drifts to her. She's tied to a chair, facing me. My heart hammers against my chest as I look at her. He's positioned her perfectly to see the show. He's going to hurt me and make her watch. God, he's a monster.

"Never. This bitch has made my life a misery since the fucking day she was born. She's the reason my wife's dead." The way his voice rises at the end sends the hair on my arms to stand up.

"Oh my god," I whisper, horrified as I finally realize the truth. "It was you. You killed her. You're the one who killed her."

"Shut up," he spits out. "You are the reason. You were sick. Had she not left, she'd be alive."

Tears fall from my eyes as I stare at the man who’s caused me so very much heartache over the past five years. "No, Mam was leaving you. I know that. I know she was divorcing you. You didn't like it. You didn't want the money and power to go. Why Dad? Why did you kill her?"

"You," he snaps. "You're the reason she's dead. Had you not told her what happened, she wouldn’t have left me. You, Jessica, you're the reason for all of this."

"You killed Aunt Patty?" Callie asks, horrified. "Why? What did she ever do to you?"

He begins to pace and I'm grateful for the reprieve, but God, my heart hurts so much. I can't believe he killed her. I hate him. I hate him so fucking much.

"She was leaving me. She was taking all the money and leaving me. I couldn't have that. I couldn't let her do that to me. No. No one leaves me. Not even you, Jessica. I warned you what would happen, didn't I? I fucking warned you that I'd never let you leave."

"You were home," I say, my voice louder than I thought it could be. "That day, you were home. Mam hated leaving me alone with you, but she did. Who did you have kill her?" I ask, needing these answers. For years I've been blaming Jer, but the truth is, it was him all along. "Fintan?"

His eyes widen. "Oh, Jessica," he taunts. "You've been a busy girl. I guess your uncle knows a lot more than I gave him credit for. But yes, Fintan was the one who killed your ma. In return, he'll marry you."

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